Thought For The Day

Dance Of The Dead and Many Happy Returns.

    Two failures in a row for No.6 like that, having his hopes dashed and knowing that he can never win. You would think that would be enough for any Prisoner, "the straw that broke the Camels back," but not No.6. He seems to me to be a real glutton for punishment!

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Teabreak Teaser

   When No.6 wakes up in the cottage as No.12, the day-date calendar by his bed reads "Wednesday 10 February." But the question is, what is the actual date?

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Exhibition of Arts and Crafts

A Landscape

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We're All Pawn's Me' Dear!

    Chess is something which figures largely in the Prisoner, from the matches played with the ex-Admiral-No.66 through to the 11 move checkmate wins by No.6 during the episode of ‘It’s Your Funeral.’ However it is ‘Checkmate’ in which chess figures the most, and on a much larger chessboard, human chess matches are the order of the day. Although both sides look alike, each of the human pieces dressed in village attire as they are, which No.6 sees as complicating the matter. However each person on the chessboard does carry a chess pole, the head of which denotes the chess piece he or she represents. But even then you have to learn how to distinguish between the whites and the blacks, the way it is in life, you judge by attitudes. You soon learn who's for you or against!

    So with both sides on the human chessboard looking identical, you have to judge by attitudes do you? Well in my book there is a much easier way to tell the two sides apart, and its a rather simple one. As a chess player the people standing on the chessboard with their back turned to you are your chess pieces, and those facing are those of your opponent!

Unless someone turns round on their square of course! But we won't go there.

    Like the Butler during Checkmate  I have followed the moves made on the chessboard, and I can tell you, if you have not already noticed for yourselves, that after a certain number of moves the game no longer makes any sense, the moves I mean. And what about the Rook-No.53, he might have been removed from the board by the pair of medics for demonstrating the "cult of the individual," having made a move all his own.

"Check!"

    But that move was more than illegal on the part of the Rook, it was impossible because as the Rook moves forward he brushes past an opposing Rook and struts forward onto the back rank and pronounces "Check." But the opponent to the chess champion-No.14 had only previously "castled" moving the King's Rook onto the King's Bishop square and the King onto the King's Knight's square. But having said that, when the Rook does make his move, the King stands alone on the back rank!!!!!!!!!!

Its all in the editing I suppose!

And one final curiosity. It is not No.2 at the end of ‘Checkmate’ who returns the white Queens pawn to the chessboard, but the Butler!

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The Therapy Zone

In The Village Not Even The Dead Are Safe!

    Thus it has been written, because they see No.2 having actually died in ‘Once Upon A Time,’ then being brought back to life, resurrected from the dead in fact, during ‘Fall Out.’ But No.2 didn't die, for to use the actual word of command used by the President........ "Resuscitate!" Meaning to revive when apparently dead or unconscious.

It’s Inexplicable And Difficult To Comprehend!

    The way in which No.2, Colin Gordon of ‘A B and C,’ is less than a week to discover the reason behind the Prisoner-No.6's resignation, in fact he only has 3 days.... but if he had a "free hand" But if any harm comes to No.6........

    So why wasn't this particular No.2 not given a free hand? I mean No.2 sets up No.6 for a fall during ‘Free For All,’ and the new no.2 seems as though she could have unspeakable things done to No.6, and feel nothing towards him.

   No.2 in ‘The Schizoid Man’ is given free reign to break No.6, this to gain the reason why No.6 resigned. No.2 of ‘Dance of the Dead’ had No.6 put on trial - in ‘Hammer Into Anvil’ No.2 was going to "Hammer" No.6, this in order to break him, and was not pulled up by No.1 in this desire. And finally in ‘Once Upon A Time’ it had to be either one of them, No.6 or No.2. which means they are willing to take the risk with No.6's life. Why have I not included both Checkmate and ‘A Change of Mind?’ Well there was the threat in both episodes of a leucotomy being carried out on No.6, to knock out the aggressive frontal lobes. But then that was all it was, a threat, which would never have been carried out, not on their prize prisoner.

   So the questions remains, why was No.2's hands tied, when a number of his successors would later be given a free hand in the case of the Prisoner-No.6. Perhaps at this point of ‘A B and C,’ No.1 didn't want to go so far as to lose No.6, understand, lose him!

A Change of Mind - A, that No.6 has his mind changed by the operation! {well not really, as No.6 never actually underwent that particular operation, he was merely sedated!}. B, that the good citizens of the village had their minds changed about No.2, by No.6!

 Peter Smith

    Smith in itself is a common enough name, John Smith might even be more common. But Peter Smith is the name that the Prisoner gave to Mrs. Butterworth, and should we doubt that that is his real name, or one given off the cuff so to speak at the time? Well the Prisoner would have to verify his name, and that would be done either by the name on the lease of the house, or the logbook of the car. But both bore the name of the new owner, which was lucky for the Prisoner - otherwise he just might have had to reveal his own name, and Pat McGoohan wouldn't have wanted that now, would he? Hence the name Peter Smith.

 

Sir - You Play A Fine game

   No.14-the chess champion was not referring to how No.6 played the game on the chessboard, but in the way he plays the game in the village. No.2 plays games with people in order to help hi get what he wants, No.2 being the first advocate for that in the way he assigned No.9 both to Cobb, and then No.6. But No.6 is also a master of playing with people, he knows how to manipulate them, just as he does as he chooses his reliable men in the episode of ‘Checkmate.’

   However we all use people, we all play games with people and each other, on and off the chessboard. We all play games with people, consciously or otherwise - don't we?

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Village Life!

  

No.14 “The only way to manipulate his dreams is to get into them.”
   No.2 “Is that possible?”
   “I was wondering.”
   “What?”
   “I could put words into her mouth.”

   “Go on, how?”
   “We feed him with pictures, why can't we feed him with sound?”

   “But the voice, would he hear yours…or hers?”

   “That’s the danger, if he hears my voice, and recognises it, the shock will wake him, he’ll see everything, we’ll have failed.”

   “Where is your scientific enthusiasm? We’re pioneers. You know what we have here don’t you……”
   “No, what?”

   “In years to come they’ll be calling this Inception. Then afterwards perhaps you can give me something for my stomach ulcer!

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Caught On Camera!

    The picture of a complete bastard!

   “Well done Fotheringay. You’d better get beck before any embarrassing questions are asked.” What did No.2 mean? Fotheringay didn’t do anything, except help “egg the pudding” so top speak, to help convince No.6 that he really was back in London, and to that extent help fool the people who were watching, the television viewer!

   Fotheringay who was on old friend and colleague of the Prisoner's, who gave the impression that he couldn't wait to see him, but who just as quickly stabbed his old friend in the back! What's more Fotheringay seemed to have no conscience about what he'd done to help the Colonel. All he wanted to know was what his next assignment would be. At least with No.2 you knew where you stood!

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